Oscar-winning Spirited Away to be dubbed in te reo Māori for December release

OTAKI — The legendary 2001 Studio Ghibli animated film Spirited Away is being dubbed into te reo Māori, with a scheduled release set for December 2026. As reported by RNZ Māori issues reporter Pokere Paewai on Tuesday, 6 October, the project is a collaborative effort led by Māoriland Films with support from Te Māngai Pāho, Crunchyroll, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is believed to be the first time a Japanese animated film from the acclaimed Studio Ghibli has been translated into the Māori language. Translators Te Kauru Nohotima and Hana Mereraiha have worked to align the indigenous Japanese perspective of the film with a Māori worldview. A key linguistic choice in the project is the use of the word 'tua' to represent spirits, known as 'kami' in Japanese. Nohotima explained that the spiritual realm, or te ao wairua, is a concept familiar to every hapū and whānau, where reverence for the environment and ancestors mirrors the film's depiction of spirits found in rivers and forests. The film’s protagonist, Chihiro, is described by Nohotima as being reflective of tamariki Māori who are naturally born into a state of spiritual connectedness with nature. This intrinsic link to the environment, or taiao, is a shared value between Japanese and Māori cultures that the translation team sought to honour. Nohotima noted that there are deep commonalities not just in the pronunciation of words between the two languages, but in the underlying spiritual beliefs. Public interest in the te reo Māori version has already proven significant, with the project announcement generating over one hundred thousand views within days. Following its December premiere on Whakaata Māori and the MĀORI+ streaming platform, Spirited Away is also slated to screen at the Māoriland Film Festival in March 2027.